Sitting lade with fan 

Otto Scholderer made this sketch of a woman with graphite on paper. The woman sits formally, but the loose sketching style hints at a challenge to the conventions of portraiture at the time. Made in Germany, possibly during the late 19th century, this drawing offers a glimpse into the social role of women within the era's bourgeois society. The woman’s attire, though simply rendered, suggests a certain level of social standing, while her composed posture reflects the expected decorum of women in that society. The fan, delicately held in her hands, was more than just a practical item; it was a symbol of status, and a tool in the language of courtship. Examining such a work, we can ask: what was the role of women within German society at the time? And how did the institutions of art represent, or perhaps misrepresent, these roles? To answer this, we might turn to resources like social surveys, literature, and even fashion magazines of the time. Art history thrives when it engages with such wider cultural evidence.